FCS Football Championship 2025: Updated Bracket, Full Schedule, Live Results

The 24-team FCS playoff bracket for 2025–2026 will begin play on Saturday, November 29, and end on Monday, January 5. The remaining 16 teams in the 24-team field compete in the first round, while the top 16 teams and the top eight seeds automatically advance to the second round.

Everything you need to know about the Division I Football Championship postseason is provided here.

FCS championship bracket

FCS championship schedule

All times Eastern

Semifinals

• Saturday, December 20
  • 4 p.m. | No. 2 Montana State vs. No. 3 Montana | ABC
  • 7:30 p.m. | Illinois State vs. No. 12 Villanova|ESPN2

National Championship

• Monday, January 5
  • Played at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, TN | 7:30 p.m. ET | ESPN

FCS championship rounds, dates

• Selection show: 12 p.m. ET Sunday, Nov. 23 on ESPNU
• First round: Saturday, Nov. 29
  • No. 9 Rhode Island 27, Central Connecticut State 19
  • No. 12 Villanova 52, Harvard 7
  • No. 10 Abilene Christian 38, Lamar 20
  • No. 11 South Dakota 38, Drake 17
  • North Dakota 31, No. 13 Tennessee Tech 6
  • No. 14 South Dakota State 41, New Hampshire 3
  • Illinois State 21, No. 16 Southeastern Louisiana 3
  • Yale 43, No. 15 Youngstown St. 42
• Second round: Saturday, Dec. 6
  • No. 12 Villanova 14, No. 5 Lehigh 7
  • No. 11 South Dakota 47, No. 6 Mercer 0
  • No. 4 Tarleton State 31, North Dakota 13
  • Illinois State 29, No. 1 North Dakota State 28
  • No. 7 Stephen F. Austin 41, No. 10 Abilene Christian 34
  • No. 2 Montana State 21, Yale 13
  • No. 3 Montana 50, No. 14 South Dakota State 29
  • No. 8 UC Davis 47, No. 9 Rhode Island 26
• Quarterfinals: Friday, Dec. 12 through Saturday, Dec. 13
  • Friday, December 12
    • No. 2 Montana State 44, No. 7 Stephen F. Austin 28
  • Saturday, December 13
    • No. 12 Villanova 26, No. 4 Tarleton State 21
    • No. 3 Montana 52, No. 11 South Dakota 22
    • Illinois State 42, No. 8 UC Davis 31
• Semifinals: Saturday, Dec. 20
• National championship: Monday, Jan. 5 on ESPN at 7:30 p.m. ET

FCS selections

On Sunday, November 23, 2025, the 2025–26 FCS Championship bracket selections were made. The bracket was made public through a selections release and a selection show on ESPNU at 12 p.m. ET.

Playoff spots are automatically awarded to eleven conferences (or conference partnerships/alliances). The final 13 at-large bids are chosen by the FCS Championship Committee.

History of FCS titles

The current national champion is North Dakota Dakota State, which defeated Montana State 35-32 in 2024 to earn its tenth title. Each FCS champion and runner-up from the previous ten years is listed below: